Reversible garment



July 19, 1966 R. c. DELANEY REVERSIBLE GAEMENT Filed March 2, 1964 A TTOR/VE YS July 19, 1966 R. c. DELANEY REVERS IBLE GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2. 1964 ||f||||1|||||||l||1r IIJ,

F/G. a

65 86 Fla/f 30 INVENTOR.

RACHELLE C. DELANEY A T TORNEYS United States Patent() 3,261,024 REVERSIBLE GARMENT Rachelle C. Delaney, 3680 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville, Fla. Filed Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,471 8 Claims. (Cl. 2-74) This invention relates to garments and more particularly concerns garments having detachably connected side portions.

A general object of this invention is to provide an improved garment.

A particular object is the provision of an improved garment having detachable side portions.

Another particular object is to provide an improved reversible garment.

A further particular o'bject is the provision of a reversible garment which may be worn with either the front or the back thereof properly tted to the front of the body, particularly as to the wearers bust.

' A specific object of the invention is to provide an improved garment wherein the garment includes a pair of side portions releasably attached to enable the garment to -be eight-way reversible, i.e., the inside or the outside of each front panel of each side portion may be in contact with the front of the body or be in contact with the back of the body; or the inside or outside of the front panel of the right side portion may `be worn in contact with either the front or the back of the 'body while the inside or outside of the front panel of the left side portion is worn in contact with either the back or front of the body.

Another specific object is to provide a reversible garment consisting of two side portions releasably connected by a pair of slide fastener devices concealed regardless of the manner of reversing and connecting such side portions.

An additional specific object is the pr-ovision of an improved garment consisting of two side portions connected by a pair of reclosable fastening means wherein one fastening means is outwardly exposed for ready access thereto and the other fastening means is exposed inwardly of the garment thereby prevent-ing ready access thereto while the garment is being worn.

The novel features which are believed Ito be characteristic of this invention are set forth With particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best 'be understood by reference to the following descriptioin taken in connection with the `accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a front perspective view of the garment in accordance with the present invention, patches thereon being -lined for color;

FIGURE 2 is a full cross-sectional view of the garment as taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-Sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5 5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines `6 6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the right side portion of the garment of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevati-onal View of the left side port-ion of `the garment of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIGURE 7;l

FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIGURE 7;

ice

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view taken' along line 11-11 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIGURE 7.

Referring now more particularly tothe drawings, the garment, generally designated by numeral 20, -is illustrated as a dress having a right and a left side portion 21 and 22, side portions 21 and 22 respectively including elongated front and 'back panels or members 23 and 24 and front and back panels or members 25 and 26. Front member 23 includes an outside front panel 30 and an inside front panel 31, and the outside back panel 32 of back member 24 is connected to outside front panel 30 of front member 23 by a seam 40. Seam 41 connects the inside front panel 31 to the inside 'back panel 33 of right side portion 21. Similarly, seams 42 and 43 respectively connect the outside front Vand back panels 34 and 35 and the inside front and back panels 36 and 37 of left side portion 22. A reclosable fastening means is depicted generally at 45 between adjacent sides 46 and 47 of front members 23 and 25 for releasably connecting the right side portion 41 to left side portion 22, and another reclosable fastening means 50 similarly connects sides 51 and 52 of Iback members 24 and 26.

The manner of attaching fastening means 50 is clearly demonstrated in FIGURE 3, and includes a slide fastener device 55 having opposed elongated Stringers 56 and 57 respectively carrying fasteners 58 and 59 spaced therealong, and a control slide 60 and handle 61, as shown in FIGURE l2. The side edges and 66 of respective outside andinside back panels 32 and 33 are folded inwardly, the stringer edge 67 is nested therebetween and a row of machine or through stitches 68 connect such edges. Similarly, stitches 69 connect Stringer edge 70 nestingly fbetween inwardly folded side edges 71 and 72 of respective outside and inside back panels 35 and 37 of left side portion 22. The side edge portion 73 of the Iinside back panel 33 constitutes an inner cover flap extending over `the sl-ide fastener device 55 `and terminates at a double folded edge 74 which engages and overlies the double folded edge 75 of inside back panel 37.

The side edge portion 76 of outside back panel 35 constitutes an outer cover flap spanning over slide fastener device 55 and terminates at a double folded edge 77 which overlies double folded edge 78 of outside back panel 32 of right side portion 21. It is intended, .for example, that cover flap 76 also overlie the row of stitches 68 with only the row of stitches 69 'being visible from the 'back of the garment 20. If the control slide 60 and handle 61 were visible in FIGURE 3, the control slide `60 would 'be mova-bly mounted on the stringer 56 and fasteners 59 with handle `61 adjacent inner cover flap 73 whereby the handle `61 of control slide 60 would 'be inaccessible outwardly of garment 20.

The manner of attaching fastening means 45 is illustrated in FIGURE 4 and includes a slide fastener device 80 having Stringers 81 and 82 carrying fasteners 83 and 84, and Ia ,control slide and handle 86, as shown in FIG- URE l1. Stringers 81 and 82 are respectively connected between double folded edges 87 and 88 of right portion 21 .and between double folded edges 89 and 90 of left portion 22 by respective rows of mach-ine or Ithrough stitches 91 `and 92, stitches 91 being visible forwardly of garment 20 while stitches 92 are covered by double folded end 93 lof outer ap portion 94. Flap portion 94 spans across slide fastener device 80 and overlies double folded `edge 90, the control slide 85 and handle 86 being accessible outwardly of gar-ment 20 through outer cover flap 94. Dou'ble folded edge 89 lof inside front panel 36 consists of an inner cover flap 95 covering slide fastener device e) 80, and the double folded flap end 96 overlies double folded panel edge 87 thereby covering the row of stitches 91.

Hem 100 around leg opening 99 of garment 20 is depicted in FIGURE and includes an inwardly folded bottom portion 101 of outside front panel 34 blind stitched as at 102 to the inner face 103 of panel 34. Blind stitches 104 connect outwardly folded bottom portion 105 to the inner face 106 of inside front panel 36. The portions of hem 100 lat the bottom of the other contiguous panels 35, 37; 30, 31; and 32, 33 are sewn in the aforesaid manner.

The garment neck opening 107 is machine stitched as .at 108 in FIGURE 6 which is accomplished while the outer faces 109 and 110 of respective outside and inside front panels 34 and 36 are contiguous and their inner faces 103 and 106 are exposed outwardly. The seams at the shoulders 111 and 112 and the seams at the arm openings 113 and 114 are sewn in substantially the same manner `as the seam of neck opening 107, described in yconnection with FIGURE 6.

Each of the panels 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 includes an open-ended dart, dart 115 being described in detail and the other darts, including darts 140, 143 and 144, in the other panels will be understood to be identical. Dart 115 has a lower tapered stitched portion 116 extending below the wearers waist thereby attractively fitting same to the waist and hips, and a gather 117 terminating upwardly below the wearers bust thereby accommodating same when garment 20 is worn as depicted in FIGURE 1. The gather 117 provides the required fullness to stylishly t the wearers bust and when the outside front panels 39 and 34 are worn as the outside rear panels, the fullness in the panel 34 -caused by gather 117 collapses in a neat and unnoticed fold, i.e., dart 115 appears to be tapered upwardly to a point similar to lower tapered portion 116 rather than terminating at gather 117.

As specified above, each panel includes a dart identical to dart 115 of outside front panel 34. The dart on the inside front panel 36 (not shown) is substantially coextensive with dart 115 with its gather and tapered portion being approximately adjacent respective gather 117 and taperedportion 116 of dart 115. The outside panel gathers 117 and 139 of respective darts 115 and 140, as shown in FIGURE 8, are substantially equally spaced from the neck opening 107 and from the outer left side seam 42 of garment 20 whereby either panel 34 or 35 may conform to the wearers bust. Similarly, the outside panel gathers 141 and 142 of darts 143 and 144, depicted in FIGURE 7, are substantially equidistant from neck opening 107 and outer right side seam 40.

It is to be noted that the neck opening 107 is symmetrically disposed and the Ragland sleeves 118 and 119 are symmetrical and full so that the garment 20 may be worn as shown in FIGURE l, or the front of the body may be yengaged by inside back panels 33 and 37. The garment 20 Imay be turned inside-out in order that the front of the body be in contact with either the depicted outside front panels 30 and 34 or with the outside back panels 32 and 35. It is also evident that -only the left side portion 22 be turned inside-out whereby the front of the body may contact the inside front panel 31 and outside back panel 35, or the inside back panel 33 and outside fro-nt panel 34. The left side portion 22 may be maintained in its illustrated position, and the right side portion 21 be turned inside-out whereby the front of the body may contact the inside front panel 36 and the outside back panel 32, or the inside back panel 37 and the outside front panel 30. Thus, with panels 30, 32, 36 and 37 of one color and panels 31, 33, 34 and 35 of another color, as illustrated, four-color arrangements are possible with various changes and reversals of garment portions 21 and 22. However, garment 20 may be worn in any one of eight different positions as demonstrated above. If desired each panel of garment 20 may be a different fcolor or be made of multicolor or multidesign material.

The right side portion 21 is specifically depicted in FIG- URES 7, 9, l0 and 13, panel side edges 121 and 122 being connected by a row of machine stitches 41 constituting the inner right-side seam of the garment 20. Machine stitches 40 connect panel `side edges 123 and 124 which are coextensive with stitches 41 and constitute the outer right-side seam of garment 20.

In FIGURE 9, the panel side edges 125 and 126 are joined by stitches 68 forming a back member edge or portion 127 and a fastening means 128 is disposed therealong, fastening means 128 herein being shown as one half of slide fastener device 55.

FIGURE l0 depicts fastening means 130, one half of the slide fastener device 80, disposed along the front member edge or portion 131 formed by stitches 91 connecting the side edges 132 and 133 of respective panels 30 and 31. By examination of FIGURES 7, 9 and 10, the fastening means 128 and 130 on the right side portion 31 must be substantially identical in order that garment 20 be eight-way reversible in accordance with the present invention. For example, if buttons and button holes were to be used for the slide fastener devices 55 and 80 the right-side portion 21 must either include buttons along each unattached edge thereof, or button Iholes.

By examination of FIGURES 8, 11 and 12, the control slides 460 and and their attached handles 61 and 86 are slid-ingly supported respectively on the fasteners 59 and 84 carried by stringers 57 and 82 which are connected along the unattached edges 133 and 134 of left-side portion 22. Again, the fastening means indicated at 136 and 137 are the mating halves of the slide fastener devices 55 and 85, adapted to cooperate with either of the fastening means 128 and 130 attached to right side portion Z1. If buttons were used along each unatta'ched edge of right side portion 21, button holes must be fabricated along each unattached edge of left side portion 22, or vice versa.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A garment comprising a right side portion and a left side portion, each said portion including an elongated back Imember and an elongated front member, each said back and front member having side edges extending therealong, a right side seam joining one said side edge of one said front `member to one said side edge of one said back member, a left side seam joining one said side edge of the other said front member to one said side edge of the other said back member, a slide fastening device including fasteners disposed along the other said side edge of said one and other front member, a control side slidably disposed on said other side edge of said one front member for releasably connecting said fasteners on said one and other front member, another slide fastening device including fasteners disposed `along the other said side edge of said one and other back member, a control slide slidably disposed along said other side edge of said one back member for releasably connecting said fasteners on said one and other back member.

2. A reversible garment comprising a pair of portions, each said portion including an elongated fron-t member and an elongated back member, said front member having an outside front elongated panel and an inside front elongated panel with the inner faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relation, said back member having outside back elongated panel and an inside back elongated panel with the inner faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relation, each said front' and back panels havin-g elongated side edges, connect-ing means joining one said side edge of said outside front panel to one said side edge of said outside back panel and joining one said side edge of said inside front panel to one said side edge of said inside back panel, said connecting means constituting the side seams of the garment, the other said side edges of said inside and outside front panels of one said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, the other said side edges of said inside and outside front panels of the other said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, a slide fastening device including fasteners disposed along each said edge of respective said front member, a control slide for releasably connecting said fasteners on said front members of said one and other portions and being disposed on said one portion, the other said side edges of said inside and outside back panels of said one portion being connected and forming an edge of said back member, the other said side edges of said inside and outside back panels of said other portions being connected and forming an edge of said back member, a slide fastening device including fasteners disposed along each said side edge of respective said back member, a control slide for releasably connecting said fasteners on said black members of said one and other portions and being disposed on said one portion.

3. A reversible garment comprising a p-air of portions, each said portion including an elongated front member and an elongated back member, said front member having an outside front elongated panel and an inside front elongated panel withthe inn-er faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relation, said back member having outside back elongated panel .and an inside back elongated panel with the inner faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relation, each said front and back panels having elongated side edges, connecting means joining one said side edge of said outside front panel to one said side edge of said outside back panel and joining one said side edge of said inside front panel to one said side edge of said inside back panel, said connecting means constituting the side seams of the garment, the other said side edges of said inside and outside front panels of one said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, the other said side edges of isaid inside and outside front panels of the other said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, a slide fastening device .including fasteners disposed along each said edge of respective said front member, a control slide disposable on said front member of said other portion for releasably connecting said fasteners on said front members of said one and other portions, the other said side edges of said inside and -outside .back panels of said one port-ion being connected and forming an edge of said back member, the other said side edges of said inside and outside back panels of said other portions being connected and forming an edge of said back member, a slide fastening device including fasteners disposed along each said side edge of respective said back member, a control slide disposable on said .back mem-ber of said other portion for releasably connecting said fasteners on said back members of said one and other portions, an outer cover ap attached along said other side edge of said outside front panel of said one portion for covering said slide fastening device between said front members of said one and other portions, an inner cover flap attached along said other side edge of said inside front panel of said other portion for covering said slide fastening device, another outer cover flap attached along said other side ed-ge of said outside back panel of said other portion for covering said other slide fastening device between said back members, another inner cover flap attached along said other side edge of said inside back panel of said one portion for covering said other slide fastening device.

4. The garment as defined in claim 3 wherein said control slide o-f said slide fastening device is slidably attached to said fasteners on said edge of said front member of said other portion and completely removable from said fasteners on said edge of said front member of said one portion, said control slide of said other slide fastening device being slidably attached to said fasteners on said edge of said back member of said other portion and completely removable from said fasteners on said edge o-f said back member of said one portion whereby said portions may be reversed with their said inside front and back panels facing outwardly and their said outside front and back panels facing inwardly.

5. The garment as defined in claim 4 wherein each said control slide includes a handle, said handle of said control slide being positioned adjacent said outer cover ap, said handle of said other control slide being positioned adjacent said other inner cover iiap whereby said handle of said control slide is accessible outwardly of the garment and -said handle of said other control slide is inaccessible outwardly of the garment.

6. A reversible garment comprising a pair of portions, each said porti-on including an elongated front member and an elongated back member, said front member having an outside front elongated panel and an inside front elongated panel with the inner faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relation, said back member having outside back elongated panel and an inside back elongated panel with the inner faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relation, each said front and back panels having elongated side edges, connecting means joining one said side edge of said outside front panel to one said side edge of said outside back panel and joining one said side edge of said inside front panel to one said side edge of said inside back panel, said connecting means constituting the side seams of the garment, the other said side edges of said inside and outside front panels of one said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, the other said side edges of said inside and outside front panels of .the other said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, a first fastening means disposed along said front member edge o-f one said portion, a second fastening means disposed along said front member edge of the other said portion, said first and second fastening means releasably connect-ing said front members of said one and other portions, the other said side edges o-f said inside and outside back panels of said one portion being connected and forming an edge of said back member, the other said side edges of said inside and outside back panels of said other portions being connected and forming an edge of said back member, a third fastening means disposed along said side back member edge of said one portion, a fourth fastening means disposed along said b-ack member edge of said other portion, said third and fourth fastening means releasably connecting said black members of said one and other portions, an outer cover flap attached along said other side edge of said outside front panel of said one portion for covering said first and second fastening means between said front members of said one and other portions, an inner cover flap attached along said other side edge of said inside front panel of said other portion for covering said rst and second fastening means, another outer cover flap attached along said other side edge 0f said outside back panel of said other portion for covering said third and fourth fastening means between sai-d back members, another inner cover flap attached along said other side edge of said inside back panel of said one portion for covering said third and fourth fastening means, said first fasten-ing means and third 4fastening means are substantially identical only to each other and wherein said second and fourth fastening means are identical only to each other whereby each said one and other portion of the garment is reversible.

7. A reversible dress garment having neck and arm and leg openings, a pair of portions, each said portion including an elongated front memberand an elongated back member, said front member having an outside front elongated panel and an inside front elongated panel with the inne-r faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relati-on, said back member having outside back elongated panel and an ins-ide back elongated panel with the inner faces thereof disposed in oppositely facing relation, each said panel having a gather for providing fullness in the garment for accommodating the wearers bust when any pair of said panels is in contact therewith, each said front and back panels having elongated side edges, connecting means joining one said side edge of said outside front panel to one said side edge of said outside back panel and joining one said side edge of said inside front panel to one said s-ide edge of said inside back panel, said connecting means constituting the side seams of the garment, each said gather being substantially equally spaced from said neck opening and from respective said side `seams of the garment, each said gather being disposed between the inside and outside panels t-o permit revers-al of the garment, the other said side edges of said inside and outside front panels of one said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, the other said side edges of said ins-ide and outs-ide front panels of the other said portion being connected and forming an edge of said front member, a first slide fastening device including fasteners disposed along each said edge of respective said front member, a control slide of said first fastening device for releasably connecting said fasteners on said front members of said one and other portions, the other said side edges of said inside and outside back panels of said one portion being connected and forming an edge of said back member, the other said side edges of said inside and outside back panels of said other portions being connected and forming an edge of said back member, a second slide fastening device including fasteners disposed along each said sideedge of respective said back member, a con-trol slide of said second fastening device for releasably connecting said fasteners on said back members of said one and other portions, said control slides of said first and second fastening devices being disposed on said one portion.

8. A dress garment having neck and arm and leg openings, a right side portion and a left side portion, each said portion including an elongated bac-k member and an elongated front member, each said back and front member having side edges extending therealong, a right side seam joining one said side edge of one said fr-ont member to one said side edge of one sa-id back member, a left side seam joining one said side edge of the other said front mem-ber to one said side edge of the other said back member, each said back and front member of each said portion having an elongated open-ended dart terminating upwardly at a gather for providing fullness in the garment for accommodating the wearers bust, each said dart terminating downwardly at a tape-red portion below the wearers waist for fitting same thereto, each said gather being substantially equally spaced from said neck opening, said darts of said one front and back members being positioned substantially equally spaced from said right side seam, said darts of said other front and back members being positioned substantially equally spaced from said left side seam, a slide fastening device including fasteners disposed .along the other said side edge of said one and other front member, a control slide for releasably connect-ing said fasteners on said one and other front member, another slide fastening device including fasteners disposed along the other said side edge of said one and other back member, a contnol slide for releasably connecting said fasteners on said one and other back member, said control slides of said slide fastening devices being disposed only on one of said side portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,030,451 12/1913 Hutchinson 2-114 1,435,756 11/1922 Sweeney. 2,498,332 2/1950 Brick 2-74 FOREIGN PATENTS 710,95 3 6/ 1954 Great Britain. 730,650 5/ 1955 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, .Primary Examiner.

M. J. COLlTZ, R. J. SCANLAN, JR., Assistant Examiners. 

1. A GARMENT COMPRISING A RIGHT SIDE PORTION AND A LEFT SIDE PORTION, EACH SAID PORTION INCLUDING AN ELONGATED BACK MEMBER AND AN ELONGATED FRONT MEMBER, EACH SAID BACK AND FRONT MEMBER HAVING SIDE EDGES EXTENDING THEREALONG, A RIGHT SIDE SEAM JOINING ONE SAID SIDE EDGE OF ONE SAID FRONT MEMBER TO ONE SAID SIDE EDGE OF ONE SAID BACK MEMBER, A LEFT SIDE SEAM JOINING ONE SAID SIDE EDGE OF THE OTHER SAID FRONT MEMBER TO ONE SAID SIDE EDGE OF THE OTHER SAID BACK MEMBER, A SLIDE FASTENING DEVIDE INCLUDING FASTENERS DISPOSED ALONG THE OTHER SAID SIDE EDGE OF SAID ONE AND OTHER FRONT MEMBER, A CONTROL SIDE SLIDABLY DISPOSED ON SAID OTHER SIDE EDGE OF SAID ONE FORNT MEMBER FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID FASTENERS ON SAID ONE AND OTHER FRONT MEMBER, ANOTHER SLIDE FASTENING DEVICE INCLUDING FASTENERS DISPOSED ALONG THE OTHER SAID SIDE EDGE OF SAID ONE AND OTHER BACK MEMBER, A CONTROL SLIDE SLIDABLY DISPOSED ALONG SAID OTHE SIDE EDGE OF SAID ONE BACK MEMBER FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID FASTENERS ON SAID ONE AND OTHER BACK MEMBER. 